


Halloween

by Princesszellie



Series: Prompts and Drabbles [24]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Halloween, M/M, Mischief Managed, chaleigh, dressing up is a big deal, emo!Chaleigh, teen antics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 16:57:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5098256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princesszellie/pseuds/Princesszellie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halloween is truly the most magical night of the year; ripe with excitement and promise- at least for two teenage boys. Not so much for their supervising adult...for whom it is just another cause of grey hairs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Halloween

Charlie heard the door to his bedroom open and heard Raleigh call for him, he tried to hurry up, but eye liner was not something to be rushed! With a slightly shaking hand he went back to the careful application of the dangerous substance. Just a little more….yes….

“Hey gorgeous!” Raleigh exclaimed popping up in the mirror behind him.

“Jesus Christ!” Charlie gasped more in pain as the tip of that caustic black chemical brush met the surface of his eye than surprise or fear. God damn it, it was _crippling_! “Son of a bitch!”

Raleigh watched in mild horror as Chuck lunged down into the sink to rinse out his eye, “Oh my god baby! I’m so sorry!” He could commiserate. He wore the stuff every day, and even as practiced as he was the occasional accident happened. Charlie was definitely _not_ as skilled with makeup.

Now, thanks to the eye/lifesaving water, Charlie had to wipe _all_ of his hard workoff and start over. They were going to be late! He frowned at the disaster that was the last, and hardest (for him anyway) part of his costume.

“Here let me do it,” Raleigh offered, picking up the scattered cases and tubes. Using a combat booted foot Charlie dropped the lid of the toilet seat and plopped down. With deft, expert hands that were surprisingly gentle, Raleigh began reapplying the color to Charlie’s perfect be-freckled face. God, he _loved_ this kid.

Chuck pouted at first, but it was hard to keep up the act under Rals ministrations. His touch always had a way of melting Charlie to butter- no matter his humor. He took the opportunity to admire Raleigh’s completed costume; thus far he had only seen it in pieces.

“Came out good,” he tugged on the brightly dyed blue pleather jacket. “’specially the hair.”

“Yours came out perfect,” Raleigh adored the impish grin Charlie flashed up at him and he couldn’t resist pausing in his applications to give him a sound kiss. Chuck indulged him, but only for a second, “We’re gonna be late….” He whined against Raleigh’s lips.

It was true. Raleigh had to pull himself away and return to the real task at hand. There would be plenty of time for kissing later he figured. He finished up and admired his work. “I think that should do it.”

Charlie shot up and looked in the mirror. He grinned at Raleigh in the reflection, “Killjoy’s make some noise!”

And with that they came tromping down the stairs hooting and singing some horrendous song that set Max off into a fit of wild barking. It wasn’t the sounds that sent the scalding hot coffee spurting up Herc’s nose, but the _sight_ of them. Jesus help him.

Striking some sort of significant pose before him, the boys were clearly looking for some sort of…response from him. Applause perhaps? He had no idea what they were dressed as, so the significance of their carefully crafted costumes was a bit lost on him, but he could definitely appreciate their effort. Herc knew they were probably one hundred percent accurate as both boys had a touch of OCD.

Raleigh’s hair was a fresh hell-flame red, it was retina scaring and disturbing, especially paired with the vivid blue jacket he was wearing. If he were Herc’s kid he would be grateful for the freaky mask and bandana that covered up any of Raleigh’s recognizable features.

Of course, one look at his own offspring and he wished Charlie’s mask was _bigger_. Why in god’s name had he allowed the little brat to convince him that he could dye his hair for Halloween!!? It had been one of Charlie’s greatest coup d'état. He had hit Dad up late one night after a long shift, while he was half asleep watching the end of the nightly news. Five minutes of cuddle time, a perfectly placed vague request plied at a point when Dad was clearly almost asleep, and he had walked away with permission to dye his hair.

The caveat was of course that it had to be the least permanent, most washable kind available. Herc had made goddamn sure of that. He had read the back of every box with a scrutiny reserved for contract fine print; but even now, while staring up in horror at Charlie, he was filled with the cold fear that he missed _one tiny word_ and that this was irrevocable.

Charlie on the other hand was _so_ freaking pleased with himself, and life in general. The dye would stay in at least a week which meant he could rock it at this week’s semifinal game- it was a close match to the school fight shade. “Take our pictureeeeee.” He whined at Herc, and dropped his phone into Dad’s lap.

Sighing, Herc retrieved the phone and took the one being offered more politely from Raleigh and took the requested pictures as the duo vogued energetically. He snapped one on his phone as well, he would send it to Scott later- he was sure his brother would _love_ to see that his beloved nephew had used several items of his wardrobe for this outlandish costume. Oh yes, Scott would be thrilled.

One of the phones in his hand buzzed, and it was snatched away before he could see anything incriminating.

“Ugh! We need to _go_!” Charlie whined taking his phone back.

“Curfew is midnight remember…” Herc said holding onto the device gently, forcing his son to look him in the eye. Charlie met his icy gaze for only the bare minimum of heart beats required for acknowledgement.

Raleigh shifted in his overly tight pants uncomfortably. They had a party to hit and then, once the sun went down, the streets. The rest of their crew was waiting! They didn’t have time for this….He gently tugged on Charlie’s sleeve in silent supplication.

Chuck grinned at him, even though Raleigh couldn’t see it under the bandana covering his face. They bolted for the door, trailed by an overly excited Max and a way less enthusiastic Herc. He stopped Max from running out on to the steps after them with one foot and leaned in the doorway, arms over his chest. “Don’t get arrested!” he called after them, in full earshot of at least three of their friends and two adult neighbors.

Charlie shot him a last mortified look that not even that ridiculous scarf could hide. Herc wiggled his fingers in farewell and smirked. Good. He still had some power here. A gaggle of teeny tiny, brightly dressed trick or treaters were making their way down the block and Herc knew it was time to lock Max up and prepare for his version of the nights festivities- drinking beer and handing out candy.

Herc smiled remembering eons ago when Charlie was one of those tiny little superheroes toddling along holding his hand, collecting his sugar high as the sun was just starting to set. Long gone were those days; that was for damn sure. He had no idea what his two masked miscreants had planned for All Hallows Eve but he was ninety percent sure it wasn’t cute or innocent. With a sigh Herc called the dog, “Come on buddy.” He just wanted a nice quiet night, no egging, no toilet paper, no calls to or from the cops….  
  
But, just in case, he still had about five hundred dollars in cash stashed away in the house- the vestige of Scott’s bail fund. It would get _one_ of the boys out in a pinch….the charges would determine which one.

**Author's Note:**

> Ten points to Giffindor if someone can name what their dressed up as ;)
> 
> Halloween used to be a huge deal for me and my friends....I still get super nostalgic watching kids run amok on All Hallow's Eve. 
> 
> Charlie is such a manipulator....he really has Herc's number sometimes. He better watch out, or Herc will bail Raleigh out instead! I can think of two scenarios where he would do just that lol (one is if that dye really IS permanent haha)


End file.
